In his acceptance speech for his surprise Oscar win for Best Actor, Sean Penn mentioned seeing demonstrations of hate (by protesters) on his drive up to the Kodak Theater. I assume he meant anti-gay groups and Prop 8 supporters who, like many protesters, seem to thrive on big, celebratory events.
I made a quick trip through Hollywood on Sunday afternoon, foolishly thinking that the crush of human traffic would be confined to the few blocks surrounding the Kodak. It stretched down much of Hollywood Blvd and the surrounding streets, though I must say that it was more muted than I expected. They took pictures, bought snacks from vending machines, and window shopped at various souvenir stores, but there was no yelling, no pushing, and minimal rudeness. Whatever had gotten into them apparently got to the protesters a block away on Santa Monica and Highland.
They were so quiet that I didn’t even see them until I was half way across the street and heading right into the middle of their huddle. It was a silent group of people, none of them showing much emotion, and many talking quietly amongst themselves. They were a "God Hate" group, people who audaciously proclaim who and what the Creator of the Universe just can’t stand. Their cardboard signs were somewhat bland, waving quietly against the overcast sky. Amongst the cheaply-produced signs was the old stand by, "God Hates Fags." Yawn. Yes, we know, you‘ve told us several times now, but apparently, He doesn’t hate them enough to strike them to the pits of Hell as various signs have promoted. But it was the other signs that caught my eye. "God Hates America." "God Hates the World." "The Stock Market Drops, and God Laughs."
Pretty bold rhetoric, no? Well, where was the outrage? Where was the frantic yelling to repent? Yes, these young to middle-aged adults, mostly White and I would assume American, were out in...half-force to let Evil Hollywood know that God hates everything, including them apparently, since they, too are in America. Maybe that’s why they looked so sad.
I have to say, the demonstration was pretty weak. I was surprised. In fact I had to suppress my laughter at the half-assedness (or was it intentional minimalism?) of this particular protest. As someone who was in downtown New York this past September 11th, I know what a good political protest/flame-fest is supposed to look like, and this wasn’t it. No bullhorns. No chants. They were barely able to hold their signs up, signs ironically painted in rainbow colors. Maybe I just missed the riled up group. Or maybe these folks were on a smoke break. Either way, I didn’t see hate. I saw exhaustion and defeat.
Now, there are two ways to look at this. First, there’s the positive spin: We’ve entered a new day, a more tolerant and peaceful time. Maybe the world is changing in a way that will render these types of hateful groups less relevant, less powerful, and ultimately unpopular. As the hundreds of peaceful Oscar fans wandering the streets proved, there is a new attitude sweeping the nation, one that will outshine and overpower the voices of the small-minded, negative thinkers.
Then there is the possibility that the protesters are simply going through the same struggles as the rest of rest of the citizens of the ever-contemptible United States. Maybe the hate is still there, but it’s weak from months of unemployment, foreclosed homes and empty refrigerators. Theirs is a fury that has to be nourished on the success and prosperity of people much happier than themselves. But since everyone, including Hollywood, is feeling financial strain, there is less prosperity to tear down, and thus, less of an opportunity to hate on others. Yes, even the hate-mongers are feeling the recession, and these country-damning emos simply don’t have the strength to shout anymore. At least not at celebrities.
Perhaps they’re realizing that the beliefs they hold about their fellow citizens are not keeping them safe from suffering along with the sinners. So they must justify their anger by placing it outside of themselves. And that may be the root of their bold "God Hates..." claims. At this rate, I wonder what their next signs will say. How about "God hates me and He’s making me carry this sign"?
"God continues to laugh spitefully."
"God must be depressed because He’s not returning my calls. Either that, or He‘s being a jerk."
"God hates everything He ever did."
"God’s going to jump, swear to God, He’ll do it."